weatherwatcher

Next thing we know the start marshall will be there in his boxer shorts

That was part of the leak in the paper that published the article some time back. When it should not have even been made. What I ment to say even with set top boxes and Sky boxes not all people subscribe to Sky Sports.

Phil Morris wouldn't stand any nonsense and he is a true team motivatoer, but I can't see the powers above and PM getting on very well together. Maybe just maybe that is what it needs. Someone to come in and stand firm and take no notice of the powers above. Don't think they would last to long though, do you. to be honest.

At least they have come clean in the end. Great news that our sport continues to get screen time every week throughout the season for the next 5 years. Now all we need to know who is going to be the sponser. Not only for this year but the next 5 years unless it will be a year at a time. Now the BPSA have some hard work to do to find the right company that can match the £1 million that Sky invested every year for the past 10 years. A big boot to fill at prices like that. But now they have at least the carrot to dangle for the sponsership deal that thier products are going on the TV and will be seen in thousands of homes and speedway stadiums throughout the British Isles. Can any one tell me why speedway has never got a foot hold in the R.O.I or Eire.Have they ever had a speedway stadium over there.

I for one think that they need a good team manager in place before the start of the season. The EL is nothing Like what they had to contend with in the PL. So yes I think they need someone at the helm that has all the expertese of what the EL is all about. It would be nice to see Phil Morris in that role. I am sure he would do a great job with the Lions.

It seems that this year the poor Ausies are having a rough time with the authorities who issue the visa's is this some sort of racial hate campain against them. I can't axctually see one of the aussie lads when the season ends, dissapearing and going to work at some seaside, surf boarding shop. When all it would mean that he would be an illeagal imigrant and he would never ride speeway in this country again. What a shame, don't actually know how many have been refused so far as I have only seen a couple so far. How this is going to affect this years teams I don't know. What with the Poles saying the riders in thier teams can't race on a Saturday, in case it affects thier team on a Sunday. With a few of them not bothering to come over here at all. Maybe the BPSA didn't have to put 2 riders in as reserve riders, because teams will be using more riders from the young Brithish riders next year if things carry on the way they are going. You may just as well put a block on all foriegn riders and just make British speedway, what it says all the leagues made up of British riders. Then the S++t will really hit the fan.

I remember back in the days of Black and White television. When the screens where 10 inches squre in a cabinet as large as a fridge. The only speedway we saw was on the BBC on Grandstand on a Saturday. You may have got 2 or 3 shown a year. Most from Wembly. Times have changed, the way people do things have changed. Nearly every town had a dog track that was packed out on a Saturday nights and doubled as a speedway stadium in the week. People went out to socialise. Now they have to go to the gym, play football on Sunday. If you had done anything on a Sunday in that eara, you would have been branded as if you where in league with the devil. I see no problems with speedway on the TV. That is not the cause of the drop in attendance figures at our speeday tracks. The problem lies with people changing life styles. It is up to the BSPA, to get people out there interseted in speedway again. Would it have hurt any to have put some adverts on the TV and the papers to let people know that speedway was still alive and kicking. Not everyone has Sky Sport on thier TV's Lots of people have got Free to view set top boxes. It is a need to let the public out there know, that they can go to a speedway stadium near to them. Have a night out, with a graet crowd of people and a good night out, with no violance as in some sports. Bring Speedway into the 21st century, before it slowly fades away, and people will be trawing the internet in 30 years time to look and see what the sport was all about. That is unless you go to one of the countries that make a big thing about the sport. This countries learders have sold it short for far to long. I remember going to Long Eaton and there where posters, on and around the stadium showing you every week who the where racing against. How many speedway towns and Citys, have a poster anywhere on or near thier stadiums these days. Come on don't let our sport do a dying fly, with it's feet flopping around in the air upside down. It is a great sport and one I love. Lets not let it die, like the fly.

BTFC. Sorry that was me reading the post on the Lions page without my glasses on and in the dark. You are right it didn't say anything like that. Maybe I was doing a bit of gazing in the cystal ball.

Mick according to the Lions website today it says that he is close to announcing the rest of the team and the sponsers so it could all be told as you say by next week.

I think Twitter and Facebook have a lot to answer to. There is so much private information put on there. It is a wonder that there are not lots of law suits flying around. Far to much is posted on there of a personal nature these days. I just hope that the next few weeks sees the team sorted and that the team is strong enough to compete in the EL league. That they don't just grab at any 2 riders just to make up the numbers. From what I have seen from the start of this season, it has been far worse than other, With promoters not knowing who the main sponsers are, if there is going to be any TV coverage or not, which is not of any great help to the riders who are after sponsers if they can't show them who will be looking at the products they have to offer as sponsers. The teams not just the Lions with riders joining teams, leaving teams and riders who are failing to get Visa's. It has got to be a promoters worst nightmare. Just hope the season sorts itself out. Or it could end up to be the year to end all years as far as speedway is concerned.

We need the BSPA, to do something in someway to advertise the sport. Don't think that showing it on the television hurts our sport in any way. How many towns and city's that have speedway meetings actualy let people in that region know that there is actually a speedway track our a race night going on. I know my team do. It is in the local paper on the radio. With posters around the town centre. There must be more the BPSA can do though. Not everyone has SKY and not everyone has the internet. So come on it is time to get your act in gear if not speedway will be lost in this country, It will not take to long either. We have clubs folding and in financial difficulties. Clubs having to close due to losing thier land. The rot needs to be stopped before it is to late.

I don't think that showing speedway on Sky makes one iota's diffence to crowd figures. It is on team on one night and if it is not your club on that night you will turn up on your local stadium to watch your team race that is if you are a true fan. Ok like many I have.t the spare cash to go to every race at home and I am not in a postion to go to away matches due to ill health. If you where a true supportwer and it was your clubs turn to be shown on sky then either record it or watch it the day afyer that way you get to watch the racing twice or more. One the one at the track that is the real speedway with all the thrills spills and the smells and bells. All be it a cold shivery expirence. But if the racing is half good then you forget about the cold until you are on your way home. I for one love to watch it on tv and love it even more watching it live at my local stadium. So no I don't think that the tv coverage has done any harm to the droping figures at the stadiums just a changing world, where people now have so much going on in thier lives that very few people, have an interest in our sport. I for one have a feeling of going back in time when I went to Cradley Heath and Long Eaton now that I have my 9 year old grandson at my side. He loves the sport at the moment but I don't know if it will be that way when he gets to the age when he finds out about girls and he wants to go out with his mates on a race night. I can live in hope. The only thing that has changes is peoples life styles. It is a bit like our old corner shops.

This whole visa lark is like something that Monty Phyton Flying Circus or Spike Milligan would have dreamt up for a scetch. Who is left now without a team place that is worth snaping up. Is more to the point and not just two riders to make up the numbers. If that is what it comes down to.

But surely if people as in sport personel ride play or whatever in form form of sport year in year out. They should make it far easier for them to apply. It is not that many of these stars flout the laws as some do ad dissapear when thier years sports fixtures end or they will be unable to partake in thier sport the following year. Isn't it time that some sense was shown in this matter.

Just a point of asking if Doyle fails to get his Visa. And he was riding in the GP series which he is not also if he is picked by AUS to represent his country, would he then be unable to race in Cardiff or race against any other world team in this country or do different rules apply for that and is it a different Visa. If so it is another stuppid law of this country. I don't really know much about Visa applications but some seem to get them easy and some not. Maybe he should just have married an English girl or asked for political assylum. As in being set upon by a group of nationalist kangeroo's

Maybe it has been put into the hands 0f MI16 or the KGB or what ever it is now called. Because if it had it would have been out in the open now. Because getting info out of Sky and the BSPA is far tougher than getting it out of any seceret service.

Thanks to TMW for getting me a contact e-mail address for the supporters club website. Spoken to him and he is going to put it to the committe. Hope something comes from it as I hate to see the website down

Yes hope they do. I would be glad to help out if anyone needs a helping hand.

For the star rider I would go for Greg Hancok. The way he rode, not bothering if he won, but the fact that he is one of the best team riders in the sport. On quite a few occations he rode the inside line like a true rider should to help his team mate to stay in front of the other team. If you ever needed a partner I would chose Grin as he rides his heart out,. Not only for himself which a lot of riders do but as a partner to help win the races for your team. A true legend. He rides the track and picks his lines. And is a gentleman to the sport. Unlike some of the new kamakazi riders we have these days. That just bomb around the track, lots of guts, lots of speed, don't give a hoot about any other rider. With very little in the way of true speedway talent. But they win races and are not realy bothered about thier partners or any other rider on the track. There are far to many acidents these days with reckless riding. Grin was the star of the EL for 2013 for me. I know he didn't race the full season but the bit he did was well worth watching a great rider in action..

Can anyone tell me what has happened to the Supporters club website. All it shows now is the yearly subscription charge. Have they given up on this and just post on Facebook. Would rather have the website. Not a favorite of facebook. What is the problem haven,t they got a webmaster to see to the page.

No mention at all on the Lions site about showers and changing rooms. Stiill need a bucket of water and a tent it seems.Or if all else fails thye back of your van.

So what went wrong. Since the day of Collins and Lee etc. One lack of funding. Two not enough being done to bring on young British riders, they race in the NL if lucky get a place in the PL. Three No training or get togethers for the team, so they can get used to riding with each other, it is about two riders working as a team not an individual. This year the youngsters may learn a bit from the senior riders in the EL, if they don't then who can you blame other than the senior riders not showing any interest in the young riders. They may not have enough time this year to do anything to stop the rot that has set in with British speedway. Hopefully things will get better, if these youngsters are brought on as they should be. In a couple of years we may just have a British team that we can be proud of. With Phil Morris working with the U21s U19s AND u16s. Hopefully this should if done right will bring on some good riders. That is if they are given the chance to ride in the top flight of British speedway. Get them riding second string in the EL instead of bringing in riders from other countries, some who could not care less if they ride with pride for the teams they race for, or just to get a ride in the EL. Seen some terrible races in the past few years on Sky where the riders may just have stayed at home. You could have gotten just the same effect if you had taken someone from off the side of the track and put them on a bike. Lets hope that 2014 and the next couple of years bring us some riders that will be proud to race for thier country and maybe will just be winners again and not a bunch of no hopers. What a sad lot we are.

It was great to see the article By Phil that he is going to continue. Looking after the young U21S, U19s and U16s. I don't think that they could wish for a better manager. If anyone can bring on this young and up and coming British Talent. Then I think they have got the right man for the job. Best of Luck Phil, we need to get the best from all these young riders to bring back some talent to or country.

It can't be bad first season in the EL and they have arleady upset Swindon, with talk of bringing in Nick Morris. To top it all now they may be crossing swords with Poole. Lets hope they get NM and put one over them all after all a speedway rider is a free enterty and can go whre he wants, when it biols down to things. It would make a good team with Nick Morris and Jason Doyle. Lets hope he soon get that visa soeted out or the Lions will be on the look out for another rider and not that many left to pick from now.

Still nothing on the Sky speedway forum. They have appologised for the way they have replied to some earlier post. But are still keeping tight lipped and all they will state is that negotiations are still going on at the moment. So it is still wait and see. Lets hope they can tell everyone what is happening before the season starts.